In article <44qj7k$s22 at ralph.vnet.net>, Julian Charko
<jcharko at microage-ll.awinc.com> wrote:
>In order to plot the function f(x) = a^x, where a<0, over a
>range of integer values of x, what plotting options would you
>need to use with the Plot command?
>
>Specifying a plotting range of real numbers in the usual way,
>as shown below, for example, presents problems because
>Mathematica generates complex numbers for fractional exponents,
>and these obviously cannot be plotted by Plot.
>
> Plot[(-1)^x, {x, -5, 5}]
How about either
Plot[Re[(-1)^x], {x, -5, 5}]
or
Plot[Im[(-1)^x], {x, -5, 5]
I realize neither of these is the same as the function you asked about.
However, the problem isn't with Mathematica. After all it wasn't
Mathematica that decided Sqrt[-1] is complex.
--
"Against supidity, the Gods themselves contend in vain"